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Educational Proposal : Guidelines for Development

1st Jan 2003

Scouting is an educational Movement, which complements other influences on the lives of young people: the family, the school, religious communities, etc. Scouting has its own specific character defined by its stated educational purpose and by the unique method it uses to achieve that purpose.

The purpose, principles and method of Scouting are defined at world level in the Constitution of the World Organization of the Scout Movement; but these need to be expressed and applied by each National Scout Association in the context of the particular conditions of its own country. This is achieved through the development of a written “educational proposal”.

An educational proposal is a written statement which formulates Scouting’s purpose, principles and method, as adapted to the needs of young people within a particular country’s socio-cultural context. The educational proposal of a National Scout Association is, therefore, a declaration which affirms what the association commits to provide in response to the particular educational needs of the young people in the country concerned.

The purpose of the educational proposal of a National Scout Association is to present, to the community at large, a contemporary picture of the Scout Movement and what it offers to their young people; to present to young people an invitation to join an attractive, relevant Movement; and to help adult leaders to understand clearly their purpose in working with young people.

The educational proposal of a National Scout Association is, therefore, addressed to:

the general public, including parents, in the communities in which the Scout association operates, as well as to the authorities within the community
young people who are potential members
leaders within the association at every level from national to local.
The educational proposal is a very powerful tool to make society aware of the importance of Scouting’s role, and it is hoped that this publication will help associations in developing this tool and using it effectively.